


Love like the Novels

by dolphinluva28



Category: Ashlee Simpson (Musician), Bandom, Fall Out Boy
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-08-28
Updated: 2012-08-28
Packaged: 2017-11-13 01:59:25
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,920
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/498186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dolphinluva28/pseuds/dolphinluva28
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Spoilt girl Ashlee has grown up getting whatever she wanted but when she gets a new neighbour she finds herself falling in love. Forcing her band mates to help she decides to seduce him, but will she get that perfect ending? Does she want one?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Love like the Novels

Ashlee peered out the window into the garden of her neighbour, watching the figure through the glass. Sighing to herself she began to fan herself with the thick romance book she had previously been reading as she watched her neighbour's son, Pete, mow the lawn. 

The Wentz's had moved in earlier in the year just at the end of the school year. Within minutes of meeting the family Ashlee had fallen for their son and had decided they were meant for each other. So far she had managed to catch him occasionally before school and exchanged a few glances when they passed on the street but that was all, so far…

Ashlee giggled to herself as she stared at his shirtless chest, eyes following his every movement, memorising each and every tattoo. This had become a regular occurrence since the summer holidays had started, every second day around 10 o’clock she sat in her room and peered out her window and watched his every movement as he worked in the garden, doing something new each week. Her favourite days were the ones where he had to bend over, like that one day he spent over an hour on the flower bed pulling weeds in nothing but a pair of loose shorts. 

Every day she would spend the whole hour barely moving, just standing in the corner of her window, nearly motionless as she did her best to avoid anything that could result in being spotted. Despite her crush that bordered on obsession she was far too afraid to actually approach him.

As she watched him she couldn’t help herself from drifting off into a daydream, the sight of him sweating mixing with her fantasies…  
Ashlee strode confidently through the mass of bodies, weaving in and out of the dancers. The twirling bodies a mass of colour, hair and silk surrounded her, the whole atmosphere capturing her. 

She finally broke free and escaped from the hot press of bodies, escaping the dance floor in favour of the calm fringes. Lifting a hand she brushed it against the intricate curls that the maid had forced her into for the evening, careful not to disturb it and risk a rant from her mother. She walked along the edge of the room heading to the refreshments. She delicately picked up one of the glasses on the table, scrunching up her face at the taste of the tart drink. 

She remained standing there for a while longer, watching as the others twirled across the floor, each one seemingly enchanted by the young man who had requested their presence for the dance. As the song reached an end and the couples said their goodbyes Ashlee started smoothing down her heavy skirt. Despite the fact there were probably more desirable women at the ball she hoped that someone would choose her from the bunch. 

She stepped forward, trying to catch the eyes of the young bachelors but it seemed they had no interest in her. Ashlee had just given up hope, resigned to being once again left alone watching her friends have the time of their lives when she spotted a stranger staring at her from across the room. Ashlee blushed lightly when her blue eyes met his brown ones from opposite sides of the dance floor. The eye contact was intense and heated, Ashlee felt her pulse quicken and heart beat wildly in her chest.   
She took a step forward, intent on meeting him but was stopped by a loud shriek of shock to her left. Ashlee couldn't help but look to find the source. She was almost disappointed to find it was in fact just one of the girls being startled by her dance partner.

Ashlee turned back to where the stranger had been and sighed; he was gone. Heart filled with disappointment she picked up her abandoned drink and began searching for sign of her mother. It was time to go home, there was no point in remaining if none of the men fancied her and she couldn't stand to suffer through any more dances watching jealously from the sidelines. 

She had just caught sight of her mother when she felt a tap on her shoulder, Ashlee turned, half expecting to see one of her friends only to be surprised to find the man from earlier. Ashlee almost dropped her drink in shock but just managed to catch it, she couldn't believe he was here next to her. The man just smiled enigmatically, his dark bangs falling into clear brown eyes. Ashlee remained silent, she knew she should respond but just couldn't seem to get the words out of her mouth.

This didn't seem to put the man off and he just reached forward and grabbed her hand gently. Without a word the man proceeded to lead her onto the dance floor. Ashlee let him not once considering resisting, there was just something about him she couldn't escape. 

Once firmly ensconced on the dance floor did the man talk. "What's your name my love?" 

Ashlee's blush deepened to a shade of red she knew would never match the blue of her dress but somehow managed to stutter out a reply, "My name's Ashlee, what's your name?" 

The man chuckled, deep and masculine, "Pete." 

They said no more words for the rest of the song, instead choosing to concentrate on the feel of their bodies moving in sync as they were. When the song finally did end Ashlee felt an overwhelming sense of dread, now they would part and never see each other again and despite only sharing their names with each other she knew she couldn't last without him. Much to her surprise when the song ended and another began Pete didn't release her, instead grabbing her arm and leading her into another, just as smooth as the other. 

Ashlee followed his lead, trying to convey with each movement how much this meant to her and how pleased she was that he had chosen to continue with her. They danced together for the rest of the evening, never once stopping, not even for a drink or to take a breath. Ignoring the talk and looks they were receiving, too deeply entrenched in one another. 

Eventually the night was forced to come to an end and they found themselves dancing the one last time. Ashlee held tight to Pete the whole time, tears prickling behind her eyes as she tried to desperately think of a way to keep him with her. The world seemed to ignore her wishes and she found the dance coming to an end and the inevitable moment where she was forced from her dream and into reality. 

The last notes had been played and Ashlee found herself staring once again into those deep hazel eyes. Ashlee opened her mouth, ready to beg, offer, anything to keep him with her when Pete moved. Leaning forward his intention was clear; Ashlee leaned forward in response, ready to reciprocate. Their lips had just....

Ashlee snapped out of her day dream and felt her blush increased tenfold with the thought of her day dream combined with the sight of Pete stopping and stretching with his back to her. Her eyes following the movement and running appreciatively over each muscle as it shifted. 

Gasping her hand dropped down to the window sill, book thumping heavily against the window to create a bang. Ashlee's eyes widened and she watched in horror as Pete stopped stretching and turned towards the window she was hiding behind. 

Ashlee struggled on the inside shock freezing her to the spot. Finally she managed to force her rebellious muscles to move right when his eyes became visible and ducked down under the sill. Holding a hand to her chest she could practically feel the wild racing of her heart. She lay there for a few more minutes until her heart slowed and breathing became normal. 

She dropped her book onto the ground and groaned to herself. How could she have been so stupid? He probably thought she was a complete stalker now and hated her. She could just imagine him coming over and demanding to speak with her parents and the embarrassment that would go with it. Not only that but the teasing that would follow. 

Ashlee eventually figured there was practically no way for her to remain. She hesitantly peeked over the window sill and peered through the glass into Pete's yard, sighing when she found it empty and the lawn perfectly mowed. Obviously he hadn't noticed and instead just returned to his house. With a shake of her head Ashlee got up and headed to the shower, she had band practice in a few minutes anyway.

~~~~~~~

Right between shampooing and conditioning her hair Ashlee had a startling thought; there was no way he hadn't spotted her. Obviously he had seen her and liked the fact she was watching and the reason he hadn't come over to complain was because he had a crush on her and was just too shy to tell her. Ashlee hummed to herself for the rest of the shower in joy, her feelings were reciprocated.   
After her shower she dressed in a pretty skirt she had bought the previous weekend and a shirt and spent about twenty minutes fixing her hair before proclaiming it perfect and finally checking the time. Ashlee withheld a swore when she realised she was a whole forty minutes late for band practice and raced down the stairs and outside onto the path.   
She paused for a second outside Pete's house and peered quickly through the windows in hopes of spotting Pete but gave up and headed down the street after only a few minutes. By the time she reached Patricks house she was a whole 55 minutes late, having had to stop and glance back at Pete's before turning the corner and having to check her makeup before she got too close to the house.   
Approaching the door she didn't bother knocking and instead charged inside only pausing for a second to scream a greeting to Patrick's parents, wherever they were, and headed straight to the garage where the band was waiting.   
Inside she was greeted with the sight of her five classmates that made up the band. There was Patrick. Who played drums, sitting behind his kit flicking through his music book; Joe, the 'crazy' guitarist, on the sofa clicking away on his phone and Jon and Brendon, base and keyboard respectively, who were sitting on a bench whispering quietly. At Ashlee's entrance they all looked up at Ashlee and stopped their activities.   
Brendon shifted down the bench slightly, away from Jon, and began to blush a bright red. Ashlee almost rolled her eyes, no matter what she did to discourage him Brendon just couldn't shake the crush he was harbouring towards her. She forced herself to remain silent though and walked into the room, collapsing onto the couch and using Joe's leg to prop her head up.  
Secretly, she thought out of the five of them she was the better musician. The others were passable but nowhere near her in skill. Everyone was always complementing her amazing voice while she had yet to hear anyone say a word about their talent. In some ways she felt bad, knowing that in the future she would have to abandon them in favour for more skilled musicians when she made it big but she knew she couldn't keep them, it could hinder her career. Sighing loudly she gave them all a pointed look and began to wait. 

After a few awkward moments Patrick finally took the hint and put his sheet music aside to ask "What’s the matter, Ash?" 

Ashlee sat up dramatically and grinned at them all, "you will never guess"   
Brendon rolled his eyes but took the bait nonetheless, "well then, why don't you just spit it out?" 

"Pete likes me," Ashlee said barely contain her excitement, "He spotted me this morning..." 

"Oh great another story of her stalkee" Jon muttered to Brendon causing the younger to burst into giggles, interrupting Ashlee's story. 

Ashlee glared at them but continued her story anyway, "So he spotted me but didn't say anything, so I was thinking about it and obviously he was too shy to say anything and the only reason there is for him to be so shy around me is if he likes me, so, yeah" 

"Or he just didn't really care" Patrick offered, trying to cut this off at the bud. 

Ashlee, never one to be deterred, rolled her eyes and leaned against Joe's shoulder, "Oo-kay, whatever. Anyway what do I do?" 

The boys remained silent and glanced at each other trying desperately trying to avoid answering. After minutes of agonising minutes of complete silence Jon gave in. "Why don't you try to seduce him?" 

Ashlee glanced at him then a huge grin broke out on her face, "Oh My God, I am a genius! I'll seduce him! That way he will be able to see that I am just as interested. Why didn't I think of this before?" 

Her not so captive audience nodded absentmindedly, guessing that they weren't getting any practice in today and instead would be subject to a few hours of her rambling and half formed plans to seduce her neighbour. They were right. 

 

~~~~~~

A few days later they once again found themselves listening to her rants as she stared out the window at Pete who was leaning over his car working on it in the driveway to his house. 

Getting sick of the situation and really just wanting her to shut up Joe leaned over and whispered into Jon's air, smirking slightly at his own plan. He received a matching smirk in response then dashed off to get supplies while Jon got up and headed over to Ashlee. 

Passing Patrick and Brendon, who were quietly discussing something written in one of Brendon’s lyric books, he ignored their half-hearted inquiring looks and went straight to where Ashlee was perched at the window. Leaning over her shoulder he gave Patrick's car, which sat in Ashlee's driveway, a quick appraisal before whispering in her ear, "Me and Joe have an idea for your seduction plan" 

Ashlee jumped slightly, too deeply involved in her thoughts to notice him, and gave him a suspicious look "and what's this plan?" 

Jon grinned, "Well, obviously Pete likes cars so why don't you go show off your passion for cars" 

Ashlee's suspicion faded but not entirely, "and how do I do that? You know I hate cars and don't know anything about them" 

Jon's smiled widened "Well I see a dirty car sitting in your driveway that could do with a wash. Have you seen that ad on TV?" 

"I don't know..." 

Jon didn't bother replying this time and instead just grabbed her arm and started pulling her to the front door where Joe was waiting with a bucket of soapy water and a sponge. 

Together they managed to get her out onto her own drive and standing next to Patrick's car without Pete even looking up from his own car. Ashlee smiled at him shyly for a second before getting to work. 

Dunking the sponge into the water she put the dripping sponge onto the hood and leaned forward, chest pressing against the metal and arms stretched out in front of her, making a long swipe. She continued to wipe the hood, eyes watching Pete as she worked. 

She kept scrubbing until the whole hood was covered in suds but still Pete didn't look up. Groaning to herself she moved to cleaning the roof, making sure to keep her seductive face on the whole time. Eventually the car was completely scrubbed clean and Pete was still completely oblivious to her presence. 

Even the move she had stolen from her sister hadn't worked. The move which consisted of leaning over the hood with her back turned to Pete and ass wiggling while she stared over her shoulder and bit her lip, had been a last resort and she was ready to give up. 

She left the bucket and sponge next to the car and headed to the door only to be met by Joe who handed her a bottle of wax and a cloth then slammed the door in her face. Ashlee examined the bottle briefly for instructions then headed back to the car for one last go. 

Half-heartedly she waxed the car, losing enthusiasm with every second. she was just finishing and giving it one last go, balancing with one leg on the hood and one dangling when Pete finally looked over. For a brief moment their eyes met and she found herself falling into a fantasy …

 

Sitting on the back of her powerful stallion Ashlee smiled up at the sun as she rode over the broad emptiness of the desert. Sitting atop Ragdoll she couldn't help but forget the issues with her farm and the debts that were piling up on her. The worry and fear that hung over her head like a dark cloud could finally fade if only for a few minutes as she indulged in her favourite activity of riding. 

As the farm came into sight she could feel the thoughts come rushing back. The memories of the debts that were waiting to be paid and the offer she knew was coming filled her mind and she couldn't keep embracing the joy she got from this. She had inherited the farm from her father when he passed away five years ago. Well kind of. Her sister had inherited it originally but after five years of neglect and careless treatment she had given up and agreed to hand the farm over to Ashlee who had been begging for this since before their father's passing. 

Ashlee had returned from the rodeo she had been working at to find the farm was in huge debt; hadn't bought any new cattle or horses and was severely understaffed. Ashlee had tried her best but by the time she had everything up and running she was even further in debt and now she only had three options. She could leave it the way it was and hope they came upon a windfall of money until the bank just took everything, just give up and sell the whole place then run away to somewhere more populated or the third and most terrifying option, give in and take the deal. 

The offer had come in a few days ago, someone wanted to buy the farm and let her continue to run it but she would have to farm what they wanted, sheep, instead of the cows and horses she had been raised into. Ashlee had been ok with all the changes they had asked for until she had read the final requirement; she would have to sell her beloved horses. Since that moment when she read that sentence she had known there was no hope. She would rather lose the farm than give up her horses and she knew there was no way that she would be able to pay off the pills that were piling up on her by the day. The only sliver of hope she had was that the surveyor the company was sending was going to be kind enough to allow her to bend the rules and keep her horses. Ashlee knew it was a slim hope but she clung to it anyway. 

She climbed off Ragdoll's back and led him into the stables, removing the saddle and brushing him down she knew she would do whatever it takes to keep the farm in her hands she had just finished and was heading back out to the house when she saw a car pulling up the drive. 

Noting it was a large black SUV she knew it was the inspector. Ashlee pulled on her fakest grin and stepped up to it when it finally stopped in front of the barn. The company inspector stepped out and Ashlee felt her body go hot. She had expected that the company man would be an elderly man in a business suit who had no idea about life on a farm; instead she was met with the sight of a man only a few years older than her with dark hair, even darker eyes and a tan that told of many days out in the sun. But not only that he was incredibly handsome but he was dressed appropriately for the weather and for life on the farm. In his light check shirt and fitted jeans she couldn't help but feel lustful towards him. 

Ashlee tried to dismiss it as a reaction to the lack of men in the area that were not already married (Ray) or just kind of creepy (Gerard). But as the tour went on she couldn't help but feel more and more desire for the dark ball of energy. Despite this Ashlee remained determined not to forget her original plan. She had to save the horses. 

She had her first opportunity when they reached the barn. They entered and began looking around. While they looked and Pete took notes Ashlee was careful to introduce him to each and every single animal in the shed and tell a story about each and every one. She hoped that if he managed to get a spark of familiarity that Pete might be more inclined to save them. 

Ashlee had just finished telling him about the time Ragdoll had eaten Mikey and Gerard’s Starbucks drinks when they entered the final stall. This one was empty. Ashlee finished talking and turned to Pete, asking if he had any more questions. 

Pete tilted his head to the side slightly and eyed her up cautiously, "Why are you so keen to tell me about the animals?" 

Ashlee stared back defiantly but secretly was trembling, her plan was found out. She considered him for a moment before deciding to just give it a try, "I read the documents you sent through and was agreeable to everything until I saw the line about the horses, there's no way I will give them up" 

"You do realise if you don't sell to us we will just wait a few months then get the land from the bank and you will end up with nothing?" 

"Please! I'll do anything just save my animals" Ashlee cried, becoming desperate. 

Pete smirked slightly and took a step forward, "Anything?"

 

Ashlee let out a shriek and promptly fell off the car and onto the ground, hitting her head on the concrete.  
~~~~~  
Ashlee walked along the vacant beach the cool waves lapping over her bare feet. Rearranging the purple dress she was wearing she searched desperately for any sign of her love.  
Spotting a large castle residing on top of a cliff she decided that would be her destination. She stumbled slightly as she pulled herself to her feet, unused to the large skirt and hoops she found herself wearing. She slowly made her way towards the edge of the beach and began her ascent up the hill toward the cliff.   
As she walked over the rough grass and weed that covered the hill she couldn't help but feel that it was all familiar to her. Giving her surroundings another critical look she realised where she had seen all this before, this was where Pete had taken her for their first outing together unchaperoned.  
With renewed vigour she headed up the hill, if she was right then Pete would be waiting for her at the top to sweep her off the feet. She climbed over the last hill and gasped, she was right! There in the distance she could see the silhouette of Pete, after their horrid argument it was all she could do not to cry.  
Ashlee broke out into a run towards him, pleased when he followed her direction and began running toward her. They met in the middle of the path, on a small ridge. Pete caught her in his arms and smiled, not saying a word. Ashlee swooned in his embrace and grabbed his arms, squeezing the muscles in appreciation.   
Pete smiled in response then after a seconds pause the smile faded into a smouldering look, "What happened to you darling?"   
Ashlee had to tighten her grip on his arms to stop herself from swooning again at his deep rough voice, "I love you and only you"   
Pete pulled her against his chest, "I love you too darling"   
Leaning down he moved to kiss her with Ashlee paralleling his movement and leaning up. But just before their lips met, Ashlee found herself surrounded by darkness and various conversations…  
Ashlee remained still trying to hold on to the remains of her dream before giving up. She still didn't move though; content to let the sound of her band mate’s concerned voices and well wishes wash over her. 

"...Well my car is clean now..." 

"...realise what happens to white tops when they get wet..." 

"...It's kind of mean..." 

"...believe she did that..." 

"...yeah, I had to learn first aid to work at the soccer camp..." 

Ashlee's eyes shot open at the sound of Pete's voice and leapt up, looking around wildly. The room’s other occupants all stopped in their talks and turned to her but didn't say anything, giving her a second to compose herself. 

In an effort to calm down Ashlee began to take stock of her surroundings. Joe was sitting with Jon on the parallel sofa with Brendon between them and Patrick was sitting in the recliner that was placed between the two couches with Pete sitting on the armrest. 

The group all stared back at her before Pete leapt up from his seat and ran a gentle hand over the back of her head stroking it lightly, Ashlee felt a blush begin to rise, and obviously he wasn't as shy as she thought. 

Pete looked over his shoulder at Patrick, "I don't feel a bump, and I think she should be fine. Her parents might want to take her to the doctors though, it might be a concussion. I don't know" 

Patrick nodded and stood, Pete joining him and together they walked to the door talking quietly. Ashlee watched them go quietly, still stunned by how brash Pete had acted, so concerned for her that he couldn't contain himself and had just started stroking her head for no reason other than to comfort himself that she was still there. Ashlee hummed to herself absentmindedly and ignored the talk around her choosing instead to watch as Pete made his way back to his own house. 

~~~~~~~~

The next day at practice Ashlee managed to contain her glee for a full half hour before demanding a break, claiming a sore throat. The rest of the band rolled their eyes but agreed, not really wanting to suffer through constant complaining and whining that would occur if they didn't. 

After fetching snacks and drinks from the kitchen and settling down on the couch they all stared at Ashlee. Ashlee preened at the attention but decided to leave them in anxious desire, instead taking a sip of her drink and indulging in a few chips from Joe's bag before finally speaking, "I think the other day went perfectly and have decided that Pete is ready for a more direct approach." 

Joe and Patrick both rolled their eyes while Patrick went back to reading. The only one to have a semi-positive reaction was Brendon who leaned forward eagerly and began nodding. Ashlee found this slightly suspicious considering he had that crush on her but then dismissed it, he was probably just hoping that she would get a taste of Pete and then give up. Ashlee considered correcting him for a second but decided not to, it might result in him stopping with all the hard work he had been putting into the plan and maybe even hindering it. 

Brendon and Ashlee managed to bounce ideas off each other for a good half hour before Jon had too excuse himself and then another ten minutes before Ashlee had to quickly dart off to the bathroom. When she returned she hesitated at the door, she always enjoyed stopping at the door and just listening to what her band mates said while she was gone. 

Pressing her ear to the corner where experience told her was the best to listen at, she held her breath and waited. 

"Well if it happens practice will actually happen instead of just sitting round talking" That was Brendon, he sounded slightly defensive. 

"But we will be down a band member" Patrick tried to argue. 

It was silent before Joe offered his input, "Can you really stand to have her around for much longer?" 

It was silent again, but Ashlee could barely contain her glee, if they were talking about what she thought they were... 

"So we all agree to help out with this stupid plan just to get her out of our hair?" 

Ashlee held her breath, praying for them to agree. Her prayers were answered only seconds later when she heard Joe and Patrick both answer yes. 

Pulling away from the door Ashlee did a quick jig in the hallway, she couldn't believe it! They obviously had the same idea as her and were open to the idea of getting rid of Jon in favour of a better player. She had decided a few weeks ago that Jon wasn't right and definitely not skilled enough to keep up with them but had been too afraid to voice her thoughts aloud in case they got mad but now it was clear they had reached the same conclusion. Ashlee made a mental note to discuss it after she hooked up with Pete. 

Briefly she considered whether Pete could join them but decided there was time for that later and made her way into the basement. The three boys leapt apart at the sight of her and she tried to reassure them with a grin, trying to convey that she was with them but they just turned red and began to look around at various points in the room and avoided her eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

When Ashlee strutted into the basement for band practice she found the boys all surrounding Patrick and interrogating him. When they spotted Ashlee they all went silent and began giving Patrick smug looks, even Ashlee could tell they were waiting for something to snap. 

Ashlee eyed them all up before turning to Joe who seemed to be the ring leader, "what's going on?"

Joe smirked, not even attempting in the slightest to hide his glee, “you’ll never guess who   
Patrick had lunch with the other day" 

Despite her plan to spend the whole practice talking about her seduction plan this was much more tempting, someone actually went out of their way to spend time with Patrick? She had to know more. Ashlee sat down on the sofa and leaned forward, "who?"

The whole group began to grin, except for Patrick who stared at the floor, then Joe spoke, "he ran into Pete at some shop and the two of them had lunch together"

"Pete paid for it" Jon added perkily. 

Ashlee stared at them on shock before letting out a scream of joy. The others stared at her in shock and Patrick covered his face with his arms to protect it from the attack he assumed was inevitable. Ashlee dove forward but instead of attacking him she wrapped her arms around him, her scream transforming into a sequel of joy. 

"Do you know what this means?" she asked happily

Brendon gave her a look, "do you?" 

Ashlee grinned and tightened her hug, "he was trying to get info about me from Patrick!"

They all gave her a doubtful look.   
"He didn't ask about you at all really" Patrick said, slowly losing his blush. 

"He was obviously trying to put you at ease," Ashlee rolled her eyes, "you can't just ask things like that, it would be way too forward" 

"I still think you are looking too far into this" Ashlee ignored Joe's comment and instead sat down on the sofa and began reading her novel. Figuring that they wouldn't be getting any practice done today the rest of the band headed upstairs to play video games, leaving Ashlee alone in the dark with her romance novels and fantasies... 

Ashlee nervously entered the office that usually housed her new boss. She had only just begun her new job as cleaner at Clandestine Industries and she had already heard the horrid stories of their cold hearted boss and what he had done to employees who got in her way. Though they had yet to meet she knew already knew he wouldn't like her.   
Seeing the office was empty she began to clean it humming to herself as she did so. Music was her life and she knew there was no way she could go five minutes without it. She cleaned the windows and emptied the bin happily, her humming turning into full on singing as she began to vacuum.   
She had just turned it off and had turned to leave when she felt herself bump into something. Ashlee began to apologize when she realised just who she was looking at, it was none other than her new boss. Who else would want to be in this office at the time? Apology halted she just stared into the dark eyes that glared at her harshly.   
Pete grabbed her arm roughly before beginning to scream, "What the Hell are you doing in my office? Do you have permission to be in here?"   
Ashlee tried to stutter out an explanation but Pete wasn't having any of that.   
"No you didn't! Only my guests and I am allowed in here without my express permission," he seemed to have calmed down but his grip hadn't loosened in any way.   
Ashlee flinched and attempted to explain, "I work here as a cleaner, I only just started. This room was on the list." She reached into her pocket with her free hand and pulled out the sheet that had a list of all the rooms she was to clean and in what order.   
Pete snatched it out of her hand and gave it a read over, lip rising in a snarl as he realised what happened. Releasing her hand he stormed over to his desk and gave her a dirty look, "Fine. Next time you see your manager tell her to reschedule."   
Ashlee nodded nervously and almost ran out the door in terror. Pete watched her go and waited patiently for her to be fully out of sight before relaxing, dropping his head into his arms, he couldn't believe what just happened. Instantly regretful he wished he could turn back time. 

Despite what the world thought of him he wasn’t really that cruel, he had cultivated this image to protect himself from the cruelty of the business world but hadn't expected it to get him this bad. That poor girl he had just scared was so pretty and sweet with a beautiful voice he couldn't believe what he had done to her. Secretly to himself he promised that next time he saw her he would apologise and make it up to her for the horror he had put her through, he should have known better than to turn his frustration onto her…  
~~~~~~~~

Ashlee skipped Practice for a while after that, instead choosing to concentrate on preparing her plan for seducing Pete. Five days later Ashlee was finally had achieved the following:   
-Two days of staring at Pete as he worked in the garden.   
-Successfully managed to figure out what the characters on Pete's arm were from.   
-Watched a nightmare before Christmas.   
-came up with a suitable plan for seducing Pete   
-Came up with an awesome nickname for the plan "Plan perfect romance (PPR)" 

Once again walking into the bands practice area she slammed a hand down onto the keyboard and snapped at them to all look at her. Brendon let out a quick shriek and jumped, after five days with no Ashlee they had kind of forgotten she was part of the band. Getting into the habit of spending the whole practice actually playing they were unused to having to put everything aside for her. 

After Ashlee sat there silently watching them they gave in with a roll of their eyes and they all stopped what they were doing and diverted their attention onto her, hoping this would be over soon. Ashlee smiled now sure they were completely focussed on her, ignoring the slight twitch Brendon had developed suddenly. 

"So over the past few days I have come up with a plan and now it is time for us to put our plan in action" Ashlee announced. 

Joe and Jon began playing a game of hangman. 

"First, Patrick you have to go and ask Pete to hang out with you more" 

Brendon started a game of solitaire on his phone. 

"On these dates you shall be sure to mention me and tell him all about my interests" 

Patrick checked his email on his phone. 

"After a couple of these 'dates' you will invite him to hang out with us. Get him used to seeing me and interacting" 

Jon cheered as he won the game. 

"Brendon I need you to write me a song so I can perform it for him" Brendon restarted the game of solitaire after losing the round. 

"And then he will realise that I feel the same" 

Patrick replied to an email. 

"Okay then, practice dismissed." 

Brendon looked up from his game, "We just started ten minutes ago" 

Ashlee flounced out of the room. 

~~~~~~~~~

 

It had just hit two in the morning when Patrick woke to the sound of tapping on his window. Patrick stumbled over to the window and pulled it open, assuming it was the cat begging to be allowed in. 

Instead he found Ashlee perched on the tree next to his room with a slightly wild look in her eyes. Patrick just shrugged and headed back to his bed, rubbing his eyes with one hand while he reached for the light switch with the other. 

A burst of light filled the room and Patrick was forced to blink the tears from his eyes before he could speak. "What do you want Ashlee?" 

Ashlee, having climbed through the window, straightened her skirt then looked him straight in the eye, "I heard you hung out with Pete yesterday. What did he want?" 

"You can't be serious" Patrick said as he collapsed back onto his bed, covering his eyes with his forearm. 

"Just tell me" 

"We talked about music and stuff, nothing really" 

Ashlee frowned and walked over to the bed, leaning over Patrick she put her face right next to Patrick's and whispered, "You better not be lying" 

Patrick nodded silently, slightly freaked out. Ashlee nodded then headed out, climbing out the window and disappearing into the night.

~~~~~~~

 

Ashlee bounced up the stairs to Patrick's house and knocked on the door. Usually she would barge in but *someone* had complained and after having a quiet conversation with her father it was decided that she had to knock now. Ashlee waited patiently for a whole five minutes before the door opened and Patrick's mother answered the door. 

Ashlee smiled winningly, "Hi Mrs Stump!" 

Patrick's mother gave her a slightly disapproving frown and returned the greeting tersely. 

Ashlee smiled brightly, "Do you know where my boys are?" 

With a roll of her eyes Patrick’s mother allowed Ashlee inside and nodded to the lounge before heading back to her office near the back of the house. Ashlee strode through the house into the lounge and froze at the door, eyes wide with shock. 

Brendon and Jon were whispering together in the corner, hands intertwined while Patrick and Joe discussed something, but that wasn’t the shocking bit, what was shocking was who they were talking to. Sitting on the sofa next to Patrick, arm over his shoulder was Pete. Ashlee stared and stared, she couldn't believe that the subject of her fantasies and dreams was sitting there on the couch with her band…

Ashlee woke up to find herself in a hospital bed, arm wrapped in a large white bandage. Ashlee wasn’t entirely sure what had happened but she guessed that the fall she had off the cliff face had resulted in a broken arm or something similar. She looked around the stark white room and concentrated hard to remember. All she could recall was just finishing the climb and turning to find her boyfriend and help him up when everything went black. 

Ashlee shifted around in the bed, uncomfortable with her thoughts and with the bed, the scratchy sheets irritating her. Her frustration came to an end when a nurse came in. 

He smiled gently at Ashlee, "Hi, my name's William. I'm just going to check your head and arm and then I will leave you" 

Ashlee nodded and allowed him to carefully examine her head and waited until after he had checked the bandage on her arm before asking what happened. 

Beckett smiled reassuringly at her worried tone, "its fine. You fell off a cliff but managed to land on a ledge. The rescuers got you off and bought you here" 

Ashlee nodded to herself again and thought for a second. With a glance around the room she managed to stop William right before he left, "So do I have to just sit around in here? How long do I have to be here?" 

"You can walk around the hospital if you want just stay in the general area. There's a rec room down the hall. You can probably leave after the doctor has seen you. Dr Wentz is away in a meeting at the moment but will be back before noon." William said, stopping at the door, "and if I remember correctly your boyfriend is here somewhere"   
Ashlee nodded again and started searching for her clothes; they were sitting on the bench next to her bed. After dressing quickly she started looking around the hospital in search of her boyfriend, she knew Chris wouldn't just leave without her. 

She had just passed the changing room when she stopped in her steps. She had found her boyfriend but she wasn’t the only one who had it seemed. Leaning against the wall was her boyfriend, Chris, with his tongue down a random nurse’s throat. 

Ashlee's eyes filled with tears, blurring her vision. Turning away she raced down the hallways, the tears slipping out against her will, blinding her. She was stopped in her steps when she crashed into a solid body and fell to the ground. 

Ashlee wiped at her eyes with a sleeve and looked up at the man. He was dressed in a doctor's uniform and was completely gorgeous. Ashlee took the offered hand and pulled her up so they were standing, eyes locked on each other. They stared deeply into each other’s eyes only to be startled out of their trance by the beeping of his pager.

Moment gone they looked away and the doctor was forced to head down the hall and away but not before Ashlee got a chance to read his name tag and catch his name. She couldn’t wait for her meeting with Dr Wentz…

Ashlee let out a stuttering breath catching the attention of the other. They all turned to her, giving her welcoming smiles and each saying their own greeting. Ashlee noticed that Pete's grin was particularly bright and felt a light flutter in her chest. He was too sweet. 

She finally managed to stutter out a greeting back then moved so she was sitting between Brendon and Jon on the sofa, eyes never leaving Pete. Pete watched back with a slightly confused smile then went back to his conversation that he was having with Patrick. 

Ashlee sat there watching him for a good hour, ignoring Jon and Brendon who proceeded to have quite a mushy conversation over her head, until Patrick's mother came in and asked if any of them would like to help her make drinks. Ashlee gave all the boys a pointed look and then went back to gazing at Pete serenely. 

Patrick and the others slowly got up from the couches and excused themselves leaving Pete and Ashlee alone for the first time. Pete smiled at her hesitantly and glanced around nervously. Ashlee dismissed his actions; obviously he was just freaked out about being in the same room alone with her. Ashlee gave him a loving smile in return then sighed dreamily; this is what she imagined it would be like when they eventually married. 

Pete coughed into his hand and glanced around again before finally speaking, "So... Ashlee? What do you like doing?" 

Ashlee lunged forward in her seat, perching on the edge; he wanted to know more about her.   
Pete's smile faltered for a second before he shrugged it off, ignoring her lack of response, "Patrick mentioned you're in his band..."

Ashlee giggled, Pete had been asking Patrick about her, she was right. Pete flinched at her giggles and started twitching in his seat, eyeing up the door to the kitchen, "you sing right?" 

Ashlee's giggles became a full laugh and she had to cover her mouth to suppress it, he was just too cute. Pete's eyes widened and he leapt up from the seat. Giving her a small wave he practically ran out the door into the kitchen, almost slipping.   
Ashlee watched him go calmly, he was obviously just too shy to handle being near her for too long. 

Ashlee continued to sit there until the others returned from the other room, Pete hiding behind Patrick as he entered. Ashlee watched him without comment not even when Brendon handed her a glass of lemonade. Ashlee sipped her drink and managed to catch Pete's eye. With a wink she licked her lip seductively adding a little wiggle at the end. Pete glanced around then ducked behind Patrick so she was no longer in his sight. 

~~~~~~~~~

Sadly their almost date had to end eventually and she had to head home. Ashlee waited outside the house with a plan forming in her head while she watched Pete say goodbye to Patrick. Once he was done she approached him with a smile. Linking their arms together she leaned into him, "Hey Pete, I was thinking since we are going to the same place why don't you give me a ride?" 

Pete looked at her and attempted to shrug her arm off him, "We live like just around the block, I don't even have the car with me" 

Ashlee frowned slightly then tossed her hair over her shoulder. "Well then you can just walk me home, I'm too scared to walk home alone" Ashlee said, tightening her hold on his arm to prove how scared she truly was. 

Pete tugged his arm to try and loosen her grip but eventually gave up and shrugged, "I guess then." 

Together they walked down the dimly lit street towards their houses. Ashlee forced Pete to stop about half way there to stare up at the sky for a few minutes, smiling wistfully at the moon in the night’s sky. They remained there for a minute or two, Ashlee humming to herself while Pete twitched nervously. 

"It's so romantic, isn't it?" Ashlee spoke, breaking the silence. 

Pete shrugged again, "I don't know it’s a bit cold though, we should head home" 

Ashlee nodded wildly, "yeah, you're right it is cold, but I'm fine, I don't need your hoodie"   
Pete raised an eyebrow but said nothing, instead choosing to continue walking, trying his best to ignore the dead weight clinging to his arm. They finally reached home and Pete removed himself from her grip and raced inside, desperate to get away from her. Ashlee waited until he was inside then headed home herself. 

~~~~~

 

In the hallway she was greeted by the unhappy face of her sister, Ashlee smiled back and tried to edge around her only to be stopped by Jessica grabbing her arm. Ashlee gave her arm a tug before giving in and asking, "What's the problem Jess?" 

Jessica gave her a stern look, "I've heard about the whole Pete issue" 

"What issue? It's nothing. There's no issue" 

Jessica raised an eyebrow, "so I didn't just see you clinging to his arm and forcing him to walk you home? And I don't regularly catch you staring at him through the window while he does his chores?" 

Ashlee blushed and looked away, she knew her friends were aware of her crush but had no idea she had been blatant enough for her sister to spot it, "I think he likes me..." 

Jessica tightened her grip on Ashlee's arm and pulled her closer so they were hugging, "Are you sure? Has he done anything to imply that or is this another one of your fantasies gone out of control?" 

“Why would you even think that?”

Jessica snorted “What about that guy last year? Craig? Didn’t you spend months staring after him until he agreed to date you only for you to break up with him after a month?”

Ashlee’s face reddened in anger, “It’s not my fault he turned out to be a loser!”

Jessica faked confusion, “I thought you broke up with him because you found it gross whenever you kissed…”

“No… he just acted weird, like he put his arm around me all the time and he tried to kiss me whenever he saw me.”  
“Relationships usually involve kissing,” Jessica pointed out, “and whenever you see people kissing on TV you change the channel. I think that maybe you have just read too many of your novels and become obsessed.”

Ashlee frowned, getting defensive, "This isn't some stupid fantasy, he likes me and I like him. He's going to ask me out and we will be together! That’s that." 

She was shouting near the end, face bright red with anger. Jessica let her go and watched as she raced up the stairs to her room. She wished that Pete did like her like that but she had a feeling that it was just another one of Ashlee's impossible crushes that would end in another broken heart for her sister. 

~~~~~~~~~

The next morning was another day for Pete to work on the garden and Ashlee once again found herself watching from the window as Pete planted flowers in the flowerbed. Only unlike all the other times Ashlee wasn't appreciating the view, instead she was contemplating what her sister had said the night before. 

She remained at the window examining him while she thought. Pete wasn't the kind of guy she normally went for; he was a bit too short and a bit too small. His voice was kind of annoying…

But he was so nice and he was always so respectful, he could just be a bit reserved. It would explain why he was never very forward with her. 

The next thing Ashlee knew the yard was empty and Pete was nowhere in sight. Sighing to herself she frowned, Jessica’s stupid ideas made her miss out on one of her favourite activities.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ashlee had another chance to spend time with Pete only a few days later. She was shopping in the mall when she received a text from Brendon asking if she wanted to join the rest of them for lunch.

Ashlee considered for a moment, buying lunch would mean she would have less money for clothes but would mean she could spend time with her friends. After a difficult fight, friends won out in the end and she texted a quick reply then started towards their meeting spot.

When she got there she was only mildly surprised to see Pete there. From what she had gathered Patrick had been doing his job quite well and was slowly integrating Pete into their circle.

Pete seemed a bit apprehensive about hanging out with Ashlee at the start but the longer they talked the more he seemed to relax. This time Ashlee forced herself to act more maturely, keeping reign on her behaviour and making sure to act naturally. Still though she couldn’t help but watch his every movement.

Smiling at the faces he pulled when he tried the various foods off other people’s plates and glaring jealously as he hung all over Patrick and joked with him. But at the same time she couldn’t help but find his clinginess kind of annoying, thinking how suffocating that would be if they were dating. Or how he was kind of pushy and annoying, just taking other people’s food. And the way he laughed…  
Ashlee excused herself and raced to the bathroom. Staring at herself in the mirror she tried to sort out her thoughts, was she thinking like that because it was the truth or was it just Jessica’s influence tainting her thoughts like that?  
When she returned to the table she carefully ignored any feelings that were in the least bit negative towards Pete. She wouldn’t let Jessica get to her like that.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Ashlee spent the next few days forcing herself to ignore the words from Jessica and fully embracing every feeling she had for Pete. Spending every morning staring out her window into his, even when he wasn’t gardening she kept it up, moving to the kitchen where she had a view of him in his own one. When he was out of sight she spent her time stalking through his Facebook and his friends for photos, ignoring his ‘cryptic’ updates and random quotes about love and relationships.

They were finally reunited when her mother decided it was an appropriate time to finally become a good neighbour and invited the Wentz family over for dinner.

Ashlee sat at the long table, across from Pete, staring down at her meal. They had only just started and she could already feel the intense stare from her sister. Ashlee looked up at Pete and gave him a quick smile before her eyes darted back down to her meal, this was so awkward.  
At the head of the table she could hear the conversation their parents were having, something to do with the garden contest next month. Ashlee wished her conversation could flow that easily.

After dinner the adults headed into the living room for coffee while Jessica left to do homework leaving the two of them alone. Ashlee smiled at Pete as she led him towards the den.  
Once they were sitting they made small talk for a little while surprising both of them when they found how much they had in common. Soon all small talk had been abandoned in favour of an in depth conversation about music. Mentally Ashlee couldn’t help but pat herself on the back for managing to have a conversation with no giggling.  
During a lull in conversation Pete brought up Patrick.  
“Does he hate me or something?”  
Ashlee felt her heart ache at his sadness, “No! Why would you think that?”  
Pete shrugged, staring at the carpet between his feet, “He keeps ignoring me and whenever I try to get any closer he just finds a reason to leave. Maybe I should just take the hint”  
Ashlee withheld her smile, Pete was thinking of giving up on Patrick! He was vulnerable. Ashlee reached over and placed a hand on his arm gently, “don’t be down”  
“I just don’t want to waste my time on someone who doesn’t love me. I would rather just find someone new who will give me a chance” Pete said, moving closer to her.  
Ashlee smiled and rubbed his arm, mirroring his movements and moving closer. Ashlee caught his eye and suddenly became aware of how close they had actually gotten, it would only take one small movement and they would be kissing, one small move and Pete would know that she would give him a chance.  
“It’s always been my opinion that you shouldn’t give up until the end. Either you get him or move on, whatever comes first. But don’t give up on love unless it’s gone.”  
Pete smiled, seemingly encouraged by her words and wrapped his arms around her in a quick hug, “Thanks”

~~~~~~~~~~~

 

As Ashlee checked her email that evening she couldn't help but consider what Jessica had said to her. Was it possible she was just putting her wishes and dreams for a romance like those in her books or was it truly as she thought? She hoped it was true love but she couldn't help but have doubts, yes in some novels the hero was uninterested on the outside but secretly all gooey and mushy on the outside but then at the same time Pete seemed honestly scared sometimes by how she acted around him. 

Ashlee sighed as she tried to figure out what to do, she couldn't just keep going after Pete like she was, what would happen if she did manage to seduce him and then found out she didn't love him but what would happen if she tried to forget about him and ended up losing her one true love? 

She checked through her email uninterestedly, not bothering to pay any attention or replying; she would have time for that later. She continued in this fashion for a while longer, a heavy feeling settling in her stomach the more she thought about her situation. 

She had just about given up and was ready to head to bed and try to sleep when she opened a new email from Brendon. Her face broke out into a smile as she came up with a new plan. The heavy feeling being replaced with a lighter but still slightly sickening feeling. She quickly sent out a mass email to her band mates then headed to bed, she needed to sleep well if she was going to have enough energy to practice their new song and perform for Pete. 

~~~~~~~~~

 

The next morning she raced down the stairs to the kitchen. Grinning from ear to ear she grabbed the juice from her sister and gave her a quick squeeze, her nervous energy causing her to almost pour the juice everywhere. 

Jessica gave her a hesitant smile but soon figured that their fight from the other week was obviously forgotten about and relaxed as they talked over breakfast. When Jessica asked what Ashlee planned to do that day Ashlee only smile and said she would see her later. 

As soon as breakfast was over she headed straight over to Patrick's house, pausing only for a second outside Pete's house for half a second before reminding herself that she wasn’t going to think about him until after she saw him that afternoon.

At Patrick's house she gave Patrick a quick smile and headed into the kitchen where he had the rest of his breakfast waiting for him. They sat in the kitchen as Patrick finished his breakfast and talked about their plans for the rest of the holidays, trying their best to ignore the elephant in the room that was Pete Wentz. 

Finally at 9.00 the rest of the band arrived and the five of them headed down to the basement. Once down the stairs Brendon and Joe collapsed down in the sofa and began chatting while Joe started texting. Patrick being the only one to start preparing his instrument, it seemed he was the only one that realised she was serious. 

Ashlee gave them a few seconds then coughed they all stopped their talking and stared, assuming she was going to go on another tangent. Ashlee gave them all a stern look and kicked at the side of the sofa, "get up we have to practice" 

They all stared at her with wide eyes, out of all the practices they had had over the summer this was the first time she had actually wanted to work. Usually they just sat around and listened to her rant and occasionally convinced her to run through a song. 

Ashlee stared back until a bright flash of light forced her to stop. Turning to her left she saw Joe holding his phone up having just taken a photo on it. Joe gave her a sheepish look and a shrug; "I just thought I would capture this momentous occasion where you actually wanted to practice for once" 

Ashley gave him a glare but didn't say anything instead motioning them all to go to their instruments. Hesitantly they followed her instructions and got ready. 

~~~~~~~~~

 

They ran through their new song for about an hour before Jon insisted they had a break. Ashlee had fought it but having the four of them giving her looks she gave in. While they drank their juice Patrick's mom had dropped off Ashlee reviewed her plan. She had the song; she had everything practiced now all she had to do was get Pete to watch. 

She finished off the last of her juice then looked over at Patrick. Glancing at the others and seeing them occupied she got up and sat next to Patrick. Patting his arm to get his attention she leaned over and whispered in his ear, "You have Pete's number right?" 

Patrick nodded. Ashlee blushed slightly, she hated that she had to do this, "Can you text him and ask him to come over so we can play him our new song?" 

Patrick nodded and pulled out his phone, texting away furiously as Ashlee started putting away all their rubbish from their snack. Ten minutes later they had finished with their break and were back to practicing for one of the most important performances of her life. 

At 3pm Ashlee sat nervously in Patrick's basement waiting with the other members of the band, practically crying with stress and nerves as she waited for Patrick to come down those stairs with Pete so they could show him the song. 

When Pete arrived he greeted them all politely and gave them bright smiles, not brightening any when he turned to Ashlee but not diminishing either so Ashlee took didn’t know if she should take that as a good sign or not and instead decided to concentrate on not throwing up.

~~~~~~~~~~

 

Pete sat down and everyone settled into their positions and the music started. Ashlee paused for a second before starting to sing. The song Brendon had written for her was a tale of finding your forbidden love and how lonely you felt before you finally met that person. As she sang Ashlee tried to keep an eye on Pete and make sure he knew exactly how she felt but the more into the song she got the more she began to notice. 

The more she noticed the way Pete stared at Patrick, the way her own eyes would drift away, treating him just as she had with every other audience member, the way her heart no longer soared when she saw him and the way all she could think of was how she was hitting the notes. When she finally finished the song she didn't even feel a flutter of excitement at Pete's comments, not even when he complemented her singing. It was then that she realised Jessica was right, she didn't Pete, just the idea.

She followed the others up the stairs as they headed to the lounge but sat on her own in the corner. Now that she had come to terms with her feelings she wasn’t sure how she was meant to feel. In some ways her whole body felt lighter. No longer was she watching her every movement in hopes of some sign but she also felt a kind of sadness, like she was mourning the feelings she used to have. 

Staring at the others as they chattered to each other, the way Jon kept his arm firmly locked over Brendon's shoulder and the way Pete would subconsciously lean towards Patrick as they chatted she couldn't seem to feel any form of jealousy. She knew she should, having spent the past month doing her best to get in a relationship and then when she finally realised she couldn't get it having them rub their relationships in her face should hurt but it didn't. 

And the longer she watched the more she realised why, despite her tries she never really wanted a relationship, just like when she dated Craig. She had spent months chasing him only to utterly hate their relationship once it began. She hated the feeling of being trapped and intertwined with another person. She didn’t want that. Ashlee guessed that’s why she had chosen to crush on Pete, he was the one guy she knew she would never get and it was probably why she acted so over the top towards him, she was subconsciously sabotaging her relationship. 

When Pete offered to take them all out for smoothies Ashlee just watched silently as they all headed out. Remaining in the room until she was startled out of her thoughts by the reappearance by Pete.   
Pete smiled at her gently, seemingly having forgiven her for her previous actions. "You coming?"   
Ashlee looked up at him, the ache was still there but as she considered him she began smiling lightly, "Yeah, sure" 

Ashlee figured she would find her 'true love' eventually, when she was ready.

**Author's Note:**

> AN: I have to thank Morganya for the amazing Mix and the BBB mods for organising th whole thing. Without them this would never have been written.
> 
>  
> 
> **Fanmix:**   
> Mix By Morganya


End file.
